I maintain a to-do list of story ideas to write at Ars, and for about a year "monthly column on DOS games I love" has been near the top of the list. When we spoke with the team at GOG, it felt less like an obligation and more like a way to add another cool angle to what I was already planning to do.
I'm going to start with the PC game I played most in high school and the one that introduced me to the very idea of online play. That game is Descent.
As far as I can recall, Descent was the first shooter to be fully 3D with six degrees of freedom. It's not often in today's gaming world that you get something completely and totally new, but that's exactly what Descent was 30 years ago in 1995.
A conservative group is targeting payment processors as “a weapon” to get adult games deindexed in storefronts. Even games that have nothing to do with sex or abuse have been caught in the dragnet.
The best Nintendo games do two things. The first is introducing a delightful gaming mechanic — take Ultrahand in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom or Cappy in Super Mario Odysseyfor some recent examples. The second is building a world around that mechanic for players to explore. Obviously games are more than one specific tool, and building a compelling game around a good mechanic is no small task. But when it all comes together, look out. You’ve got a game that people will remember for years, if not decades.
It’s a little early in the Switch 2’s lifecycle to say definitively that Donkey Kong Bananza is a game of that caliber, but after playing it for the better part of a week I can say that the “smash everything” mechanic that defines its gameplay is an absolute delight. And, just as importantly, Nintendo built a wonderful world around it, completely with varied levels and obstacles, charming characters, bizarre and delightful enemies, some catchy tunes and just enough challenge to keep it interesting. 3D platformers aren’t even my favorite game style — I prefer Super Mario Wonder over Odyssey, and I love the various Donkey Kong platformers going back to the SNES days. But Bananza makes consistently good use of every dimension you can play in, and it’s the kind of game that I’m going to keep exploring long after I roll credits.
To back up quickly: Bonanza introduces us to Donkey Kong and his smashing skills in a somewhat lengthy tutorial where you bust through a mine looking for gold. This sequence involves mashing the Y button to bust up the rocks around you and collect all the treasures that are revealed. DK can jump, climb many surfaces, rip up pieces of the terrain to throw and pound the ground to quickly collect treasure, but the main thing you’re doing here is smashing. Smashing as much as possible. You can smash above you, below you and in front of you, and you can smash almost any surface you encounter (the game helpfully makes it obvious when a surface is impervious to DK fists.)
At first, I thought I was going to get tired of all the smashing — the tutorial made it feel like mindlessly mashing Y was going to be all I was going to do in the game. But then the expected villain appears, stealing the Banandium gems (just go with it) and DK is compelled to dive deeper and deeper into the crust of the planet to get his bananas back. Once that happens, the game truly reveals itself: each “world” you need to clear is a layer of the planet, but this being a Nintendo game none of the rules apply. Lagoon Layer is up first, and there’s clear blue skies, water everywhere and varied terrain to explore (and smash). Residents of each layer will direct you to help clean up the trouble wrought by the three Kong creatures who make up VoidCo, the dastardly antagonists who stole the bananas.
Nintendo
Bananza is good about guiding you from goal to goal while also giving you tons of freedom to explore and navigate the layers in any way you see fit. My guess is that the first thing you’ll do is smash everything in sight. The smash mechanic on its own in the tutorial level didn’t feel all that exciting, but putting it into the context of beautifully crafted 3D worlds to explore makes it an absolute delight. You can basically go anywhere you can see, and you can smash nearly anything the game puts in front of you.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what makes smashing so satisfying, besides the obvious and undeniable fact that destruction is fun. But the combination of visual, haptic and audio cues combine to make it something that absolutely does not get old despite my initial reservations. The crunch of smashing through rocks and mountains just feels different than when you’re pounding your way through dirt or splintering giant trees. And smashing also equals exploration — if you see a mountain you can just pound your way into it to find gold, fossils (that you can exchange for upgraded costumes), power-ups and, most crucially, Banandium gems.
Nintendo
The Banandium gems are similar to the stars or moons or whatever else other 3D platformers have you collect as you explore. Some you’ll get naturally as you progress through the game and defeat various bosses, but there are dozens hidden around each layer that you’ll want to seek out, as getting five gives you an upgrade point. Those you can use to add more health, and upgrade DK’s various skills (like being able to smash through tougher terrain). There are also little hidden challenge levels that throw some tough platforming or timed battles at you with multiple bananas as a reward. There are a ton of ways to find bananas, and tons of them scattered around the various levels. I’m not exactly rushing through the game (there’s so much to smash, you see), and I don’t think I’ve found more than half of the bananas in any of Bananza’s layers.
Nintendo
Donkey Kong Bananza is more than just smashing, though! I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the game’s secondary protagonist, Pauline. It’s reasonable if you don’t know her by name; she’s the damsel in distress in the old ‘80s Donkey Kong games but more recently showed up in Super Mario Odyssey as the mayor of New Donk City who loves to belt out a tune. In Bananza, Pauline is a 13-year-old who was captured by the VoidCo crew but is rescued by DK early in the game. From there, she sits on your shoulder as you work together to achieve your ends: Pauline needs to get to the planet’s core to eventually get back to the surface and DK needs to get the VoidCo Kongs to get his Banandium gems back.
Pauline’s love of singing becomes a crucial part of the game, as her voice guides to checkpoints, unlocks hidden areas and, most importantly, activates various special powers that DK gains throughout the game. Multiple layers have delightfully ridiculous Elder animals presiding over them, including a giant ape, ostrich and zebra. Most of them have peacefully retired in their layers and have taken up DJing as a hobby; if you repair whatever damage VoidCo has caused, they’ll grant you a new Bananza power. The Kong power supercharges DK’s punches, while the Ostrich power lets you temporarily fly and float. Naturally, these powers end up being crucial to advancing in the game.
Nintendo
They’re all activated by different songs that Pauline learns, and those cut scenes are some of my favorite parts of the game. As a 13-year-old, she’s not exactly comfortable singing in front of the big crowds gathered by the Elders, but she gets over it, performs with gusto and starts a wild dance party. As with most Nintendo games in this style, Pauline doesn’t get a ton of character development — but watching her bond with DK and become more confident throughout her side chatter during the game is extremely sweet. One of my favorite moments in the game happens when DK takes a nap at the various hideouts you find to recover your energy. As the screen darkens for your nap, Pauline starts chattering about the world you’re in or the adventures you’ve had, and it all feels like a kid trying to talk to their parents to avoid falling asleep. She gets drowsy, starts making a little less sense and eventually nods off. It’s an unexpected and totally unnecessary (and optional) part of the game, but it really gives Pauline a personality.
I’m in the last stages of the game, and at this point I’m playing as much to see what happens with Pauline and DK as I am to keep smashing more things. That somewhat unexpected combo of heart and destruction has kept me engrossed in Donkey Kong Bananza for the last week, and there’s a ton of replayability that’ll likely have me starting a new run once I finish this one. There’s so much to explore, so many Banandium gems to find, so much to smash. It might not be the system-seller that something like Mario Kart World is, but it’s the first truly great game for the Switch 2.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/donkey-kong-bananza-review-nintendos-latest-3d-platformer-is-an-instant-classic-143048108.html?src=rss
After teasing it earlier this year, Lego has unveiled its Game Boy set. The 421-piece model is a "brick-built replica of the original Game Boy" and has buttons you can press, including the +Control Pad, A and B buttons and Select and Start — though you can't play games on it, obviously. It even comes with brick replicas of Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening and Super Mario Land game paks, along with corresponding lenticular screens or a Nintendo start screen.
Once built, you can set the Lego Game Boy and paks on a buildable display stand "for the ultimate piece of retro-inspired home or office gaming decor," Lego says. Other details you can admire include a contrast adjustment and volume dial, along with the Game Pak slot.
The Game Boy set is not Lego's first crack at a Nintendo-based product. Back in 2020, the company released a set based on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The new Lego Game Boy set is now available for pre-order on Amazon for $59 with shipping starting October 1, 2025.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/legos-game-boy-set-is-here-sadly-not-playable-122138597.html?src=rss
Sony has entered into a "strategic business alliance" with Bandai Namco holdings, acquiring about 2.5 percent of the Japanese media conglomorate and gaming publisher with a 68 billion yen ($465 million) investment, the companiesannounced. The aim, Sony said, is to expand the fan community "for IP such as anime and manga around the world and strengthen... engagement, particularly in the anime field where rapid market growth is anticipated."
The companies noted that they have historically collaborated on fields like games, anime and music, but plan to extend this into a "broader range of areas." Bandai Namco specifically called out the "production and distribution of anime and other video content, as well as merchandising." In other words, the two companies may want to join the current (and successful) trend of creating series and movies from video game and other content. At the same time, they plan to develop and promote new IP in the anime and manga areas, according to the press release.
The deal lines up with Sony's recently stated aim to maximize the value of its content across gaming and entertainment ecosystems. And clearly, converting video game IP to films and series has proven to be highly lucrative, from franchises ranging from Minecraft to Mario Bros. to The Last of Us.
Bandai Namco added that the companies plan to provide "the optimal products and services at the optimal timing in the optimal regions." In other words, it will focus some content more in some regions than others, depending on demand. Hopefully, we can expect some announcements around new content based on Bandai Namco IP in the near future.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/sony-bought-a-chunk-of-bandai-namco-to-boost-anime-fan-community-engagement-120047367.html?src=rss
There's hope that the gaming industry won't follow Nintendo's lead with $80 pricing. (Well, at least not yet.) On Wednesday, Microsoft backtracked on the price increase for The Outer Worlds 2. The game now costs $70, which itself was considered outrageous only a few years ago.
Microsoft toldWindows Central that those who already pre-ordered Obsidian's shooter at $80 can get refunds at the point of purchase. Unfortunately, you can't simply get a $10 price adjustment. You'll have to refund the full $80 and then pre-order again for $70. I'm beginning to think consumer-friendliness isn't the priority here.
The $80 pricing push began with Mario Kart World. Comments by Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford initially suggested Borderlands 4 might have followed. Fortunately, 2K Games saw something in the backlash that made it balk; it's launching at $70. A Bluesky user summed it up in a reply to Obsidian's U-turn. "Consumer advocacy in this awful state of the industry WORKS," @johnbrebbia posted.
Nintendo
The gaming industry is caught in a godawful whirlwind of layoffs, studio closures and price increases. That's happening against a backdrop of rising costs for consumers. Meanwhile, the gaming industry is projected to reach $189 billion this year, a 3.4 percent increase. That's a combustible mixture if ever there was one.
Ironically, Obsidian's sci-fi RPG deals with themes of late-stage capitalism. The developer even deployed in-world satire to announce the pricing change: "Dear Galactic Citizens! We have received your SOS via skip drone about the pricing..." Winking at one's audience is usually a good thing, but this strikes me as more of a "dude, read the room" moment.
Regardless, The Outer Worlds 2 is set to arrive on October 29. It will be available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/microsoft-backtracks-on-80-the-outer-worlds-2-pricing-173027532.html?src=rss
Splitgate 2, the follow-up to the hugely successful 2021 Quake-Portal hybrid concept, is returning to beta. The game launched last month, but developer 1047 Games is pulling it after deciding the release had been rushed. The company doesn't plan to release the project again until 2026.
"We'll be heads down until early next year, rebuilding major parts of the game to capture the spirit of what made Splitgate special," the founders said in a post to the game's Reddit community. "That means reworking progression from the ground up, adding more portals to our maps, simplifying monetization, refocusing on classic game modes you've been asking for, and more, which we’ll share soon."
Not only will the sequel go back into development, but 1047 Games is also cutting jobs. And that's after it already laid off some team members shortly after Splitgate 2's initial release. The company said it will shut down the servers for the original Splitgate in order to reduce expenses and keep more of its team members employed.
1047 Games has been brutalized in the public eye after co-founder Ian Proulx appeared at Summer Games Fest wearing a hat that read "Make FPS Great Again," which infuriated many of the original Splitgate's players. After the initial stance, posted to the studio's X account on Splitgate 2's release date, that he was both "not here to apologize" and that the hat was "not a political statement," Proulx finally landed on the line that it was all basically a publicity stunt.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/splitgate-2-is-yanked-back-to-beta-a-month-after-release-231022772.html?src=rss
Welcome to Video Games Weekly on Engadget. Expect a new story every Monday or Tuesday, broken into two parts. The first is a space for short essays and ramblings about video game trends and related topics from me, Jess Conditt, a reporter who's covered the industry for more than 13 years. The second contains the video game stories from the past week that you need to know about, including some headlines from outside of Engadget.
Please enjoy — and I'll see you next week.
This week, I’m fried. Maybe it’s the plodding and ever-present crumbling of society and human decency, or maybe it’s because Love Island USA just ended so I’m feeling extra listless. It’s a familiar summer sensation, but this year everything is exaggerated and extra tense, the stakes of every action seem higher, and instead of melting into the warmth of the season with a popsicle and a smile, I often find myself frozen and numb. I am the popsicle, coo coo ca choo.
I’m not sure exactly what I’m trying to convey here, but I think it’s clear that I shouldn’t be writing anything too serious at the moment. I’m working on a few reports and trying to keep my composure amid the chaos, and all the while, the video game headlines keep rolling on. I’ve included a few more than usual this week, as penance for my popsicle state.
UK studio The Chinese Room, creator of Still Wakes the Deep and Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, is independent once again. The Chinese Room leaders completed a management buyout with help from VC firm Hiro Capital to fully split the studio from Tencent subsidiary Sumo Digital, which acquired it in 2018. A number of people were laid off as part of the transition and the studio is left with a total of 55 employees. The Chinese Room is still working on Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2 for Paradox Interactive, and it also has original projects in development.
Still Wakes the Deep was one of my absolute favorite games of 2024. Whether you’re a fan of beautiful paranormal horror or you're just really into oil rigs, give it a go.
Vice’s owner, Savage Ventures, doesn’t want you to read this story. Or this one.
Vice removed two articles about Steam’s new ban on certain “adult-only” content and the organization that pushed for the change, Collective Shout, which has the support of prominent anti-pornography groups with conservative religious foundations. The stories were written by contributor Ana Valens, who said the removals were “due to concerns about the controversial subject matter — not journalistic complaints.” Valens has vowed to never write for Vice again and a handful of reporters there have resigned in solidarity.
Censoring stories about censorship is certainly a choice, Vice.
The home of Until Dawn and The Dark Pictures Anthology, Supermassive Games, is laying off 36 people, restructuring its team and delaying one of its projects into 2026. A statement from the studio says the decisions were in response to the video game industry’s “challenging and ever-evolving environment.” It’s estimated that Supermassive had more than 300 employees before the layoffs.
Directive 8020, the fifth installment in the Dark Pictures Anthology, is now due to come out in the first half of 2026, rather than this fall. Honestly, I’m not surprised to hear Supermassive needs more time to work on Directive 8020. I watched Engadget UK bureau chief Mat Smith play the demo at Summer Game Fest in June, and while it looked great, we were both surprised by how short and non-interactive the segment was. He summed up this feeling in his preview with the line, “Finally, I got to play (but only for a few minutes).”
Supermassive is also working on Little Nightmares III, a series that it took over from Tarsier Studios. Tarsier created Little Nightmares and its sequel, but lost the rights to the IP when the team was acquired by a subsidiary of Embracer Group in 2019. Series publisher Bandai Namco kept the Little Nightmares brand and commissioned Supermassive to build the third game, while Tarsier is working on its own project, Reanimal.
It makes sense that Supermassive would prioritize Little Nightmares III in order to fulfill its obligations with Bandai. The game has already been delayed once, and it’s set to hit PC and consoles on October 10.
I still have high hopes for FBC: Firebreak to be the Left 4 Dead revival we’ve always wanted, but fact is, it’s not quite there yet. Remedy Entertainment is aware of this hard truth and has a plan to fix it. The studio laid out its pipeline for making FBC: Firebreak easier to jump into, more fun to play and less confusing overall, with most major changes coming in an update this winter.
PCGamesN published an interview with Counter-Strike co-creator Minh Le, who left Valve years ago to try out independent development. One sentiment stuck out to me.
“They didn't force me out or anything,” Le told PCGamesN. “But a part of me kind of regrets it. Looking back, my decision to leave Valve was, financially, kind of a poor decision. If I had stayed with Valve, I would have been able to retire by now.”
It’s not presented as an indictment of Valve, but I find it notable that Le describes the studio as a place to retire, rather than a space to innovate and create the next generation of video games. At this rate, Valve will never outrun its reputation as the studio where talented game developers go to die (professionally speaking).
But, hey, at least they're not getting laid off en masse. Which, unfortunately, brings us to the next headline.
Cyberpunk 2077, Sea of Thieves and Dune: Awakening support studio Virtuos is laying off 270 developers, which is about seven percent of its staff. Virtuos is currently best known as the studio behind The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered alongside Bethesda, and it has more than 4,000 employees across Asia, Europe and North America. The cuts affect developers in Asia and Europe, with “fewer than 10” in France, where work on Oblivion Remastered was headquartered.
Make sure to pin this one on your calendar. Saber Interactive is making Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival, a first-person, action-survival horror game that features actor Doug Bradley as Pinhead for the first time in nearly 20 years. Barker himself provided input on the story, too. It’s coming to PlayStation 5, PC and Xbox Series X/S, with no release date yet.
"The Hellraiser universe is defined by its unflinching exploration of pain, pleasure, and the thin and terrifying line that separates the two," a description from Saber Interactive reads. "That essence is at the heart of our game."
Game Developer reporter Chris Kerr spoke with a number of employees at Zenimax who are still reeling from the layoffs that Microsoft enacted in early July. The vibes there sound pretty terrible.
“This carcass of workers that remains is somehow supposed to keep shipping award-winning games," one senior QA tester told Kerr. The developer continued, “Microsoft just took everything that could have been great about the culture and collaboration and decimated it. Morale is terrible. It's grotesque. People are stressed. They're crying.”
When Xbox isn’t firing thousands of employees in one blow, it’s quietly laying the groundwork for the future of video game distribution. An update for Xbox Insiders this week introduces cross-platform cloud support, bringing your cloud library and play history to the Xbox PC app. This means you can access cloud activity on an Xbox console, PC or Windows handheld, and seamlessly play cloud games across devices. This is just how video games are going to work in the coming decades, and it’s interesting to watch our future slowly roll out in blog posts and software updates.
Did you miss all of the mess around Subnautica 2 last week? Or, more accurately, this past month? To quickly summarize, Subnautica publisher Krafton is being sued by the series creators after it fired them and then delayed their game, allegedly sabotaging a $250 million bonus payout due to developers. To not-quickly summarize, see my complete breakdown of the drama.
I don’t know who else needs a little levity in their life right now, but I certainly do. Thankfully, the stop-motion show My Melody & Kuromi is coming to Netflix on July 24, and there’s already an adorable tie-in music video by LE SSERAFIM to enjoy. Zen out, watch all of the Sanrio sweetness and finally settle the debate: Are you more of a Kuromi or a My Melody?
Have a tip for Jessica? You can reach her by email, Bluesky or send a message to @jesscon.96 to chat confidentially on Signal.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/video-games-weekly-censorship-shrinkage-and-a-subnautica-scandal-221839722.html?src=rss
Switch 2 owners won't have long to wait for Borderlands 4. On Tuesday, Gearbox founder and CEO Randy Pitchford said it will arrive on October 3. While some had worried the game would be pushed back to 2026, it will land on Nintendo's console less than a month after other platforms.
Pitchford's video begins with a sober build toward what sounds like bad news. Just when you think he's about to announce a delay, he turns into an excited 10-year-old, yelling about the game's October release date. "That date is October 3! It's October 3, you guys!! It's not next year; it's not even the holiday! It's so much before Christmas; it's so much before Thanksgiving! It's October 3, you guys!!!" Pitchford, who is a magician on the side, clearly relished this.
An important message regarding the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Borderlands 4: pic.twitter.com/Wc5MwAU2bm
In the game, you'll play as a vault dweller taking on the dreaded Timekeeper and his ruthless army. It's set on a new planet, Kairos. It also introduces new gameplay mechanics (a grappling hook!), seamless world transitions (no loading screens) and fluid co-op (asynchronous difficulty levels). Best of all, it won't cost $80. Tone-deaf comments Pitchford made in May sparked speculation that the game might pull a Mario Kart World. (His magic failed him that day.)
The game first launches on PC, PlayStation and Xbox on September 12. Unlike those platforms, Borderlands 4 for Switch 2 isn't yet available for pre-order.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/switch-2-owners-can-play-borderlands-4-on-october-3-200651283.html?src=rss
Now that AAA video games cost a full $70, console bundles are the way to go to save a few coins. Nintendo is dropping another Switch 2 bundle just in time for the holiday season, and it's a real treat for Pokémon fanatics. The Nintendo Switch 2 + Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Bundle drops on October 16 and costs $500.
As the name suggests, this bundle includes a shiny new Switch 2 console and a digital copy of the enhanced version of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The game itself will also be available on that same date.
Notice I said "enhanced version." That's because Pokémon Legends: Z-A is technically a Switch 1 game, like its predecessor Pokémon Legends: Arceus. The Switch 2 Edition will feature some nice upgrades for the new console, with the company promising "improved performance, enhanced resolution and smoother frame rates." This is all welcome news, as Arceusstruggled to run properly on the now-ancient Switch 1, and who knows how the new one will perform.
For the uninitiated, Pokémon Legends: Z-Ais an action role-playing game that differs a bit from the traditional Pokémon formula. The gameplay is a mix of real-time capture mechanics and old-school turn-based battles. It also looks to be set entirely in Lumiose City, making it something of a sequel to Pokémon X and Y.
This news comes from a brand-new Pokémon Presents livestream in which Game Freak unveiled footage from a new TV show by the makers of Wallace and Gromit and released a trailer for a new season of the Netflix hit Pokémon Concierge.
There was also a whole bunch of footage of Pikachu DJing for some reason. Is that electric rodent out here trying to steal thunder from K.K. Slider?
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/theres-a-switch-2-bundle-with-pokemon-legends-z-a-dropping-on-october-16-152613321.html?src=rss
Calling all gamers with a love of horror films: Hellraiser is getting a video game adaptation. Saber Interactive is turning the cult franchise into a game called Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival. Clive Baker's 1986 novella, The Hellbound Heart, served as the basis for the Hellraiser films. He also wrote and directed the first instalment, which premiered in 1987.
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival is a single-player game that has you play as Aidan while fighting your way through an "action survival horror experience." You also must deal with Pinhead, who's known for harvesting human souls — yeah, this is a creepy game. As Saber Interactive states, "The Hellraiser universe is defined by its unflinching exploration of pain, pleasure, and the thin and terrifying line that separates the two. That essence is at the heart of our game." You can see for yourself in the announcement trailer.
The team at Saber Interactive took an additional step to ensure fans of the movie franchise are happy. They spoke with Clive Barker, himself, to maintain an "authentic" storyline. There's no word yet on exactly when Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival will launch, but more announcements should come this year. It will be available on theXbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, and the PC through Steam.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/a-hellraiser-game-is-in-development-145313443.html?src=rss
Looks like we can skip the drum roll for the next Battlefield title reveal. Seen in a leak of Electronic Arts' upcoming first-person shooter, the company is shipping promotional materials to content creators for Battlefield 6. The name drop may not be all that surprising, but the highly anticipated title could be a turning point for EA that follows up on Battlefield 2042, which was released in 2021 and currently sits at a Mixed review rating on Steam.
In the since-deleted post, gaming YouTuber DooM49 revealed a promotional crate labeled Battlefield 6 that was reportedly sent to him by EA. The mysterious package was secured by straps that could hint at potential game modes, with words like "conquest," "breakthrough" and "rush" wrapped around the box. Another Battlefield content creator, rivaLxfactor, shared more details about the rumored EA event, corroborating the info from DooM49. As seen in the post on X, EA will reportedly hold a three-day event to reveal Battlefield 6, starting on July 29. The event will also reportedly feature interviews with the game's developers and show off some content with invited guests. The leaks also point to EA potentially launching the open beta for Battlefield 6 after the event.
EA hasn't confirmed the leaks, nor announced an official reveal event yet. However, EA previously detailed in its fourth quarter financial results that it would reveal the new Battlefield game in the summer. After the official reveal, the company plans to launch the next Battlefield title before April 2026, according to EA's roadmap.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/eas-big-reveal-for-its-next-battlefield-game-may-already-be-spoiled-164344846.html?src=rss
Welcome to our weekly roundup of the goings on in the indie game space. It's been quite the busy spell, with several notable games debuting or landing on more platforms and some intriguing upcoming projects popping above the parapet.
The Steam Automation Fest is taking place this week (it runs until July 21 at 1PM ET), so fans of games like Satisfactory and Factorio might be looking to pick up some bargains on similar titles. As well as offering a variety of discounts, Automation Fest also saw the debut of several new games.
One of them is from a studio formed by the original team from the celebrated developer Zacktronics. The first title from Coincidence (with the help of publisher Astra Logical) is Kaizen - A Factory Story. This puzzler is set in 1980s Japan, and you're tasked with building popular electronics of the day, including calculators, arcade cabinets, personal computers and toy robots.
Dawn Apart also arrived during Steam Automation Fest. This is a blend of space colony sim and automation sandbox set in a destructible, voxel-based world. Astra Logical is also publishing this project, which is from Industrial Technology and Witchcraft. Dawn Apart is available now on Steam in early access.
Other new releases
One of the highest-profile indie games to debut this week is Neon Abyss 2, from Veewo Games and Kepler Ghost. The original game has sold more than a million copies, so plenty of people will have been looking forward to the sequel. This time around, you can play with up to three friends in co-op. The game's creators are promising "unlimited item synergies" here, which is handy since there's an onus on creating overpowered builds in this action roguelike. Neon Abyss 2 is out now on Steam in early access.
Ready or Not has been a hit on Steam since it arrived there in late 2023, and now Void Interactive's tactical first-person shooter has made the leap over to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Here, you'll lead a team of SWAT officers in an attempt to restore order to a city that's become overrun by corruption and chaos. You can play the 18-level campaign solo or with up to five friends.
Back to the Dawn is a story-driven RPG from Metal Head Games and publisher Spiral Up Games that's now out of early access on Steam. It has also arrived on Xbox Series X/S and Game Pass.
As Thomas the Fox, you're an investigative journalist who has been framed for revealing government secrets and tossed into prison. You'll have to forge alliances with other prisoners in your attempt to break out.
As part of Back to the Dawn's full launch, Metal Head is introducing a new character, Bob the Panther, as well as a fresh storyline. I like the art style here, and the premise is pretty compelling.
Thinking is cool and all, but sometimes you just want to turn down the volume on your brain and shoot a bunch of stuff. Kickback is an arcade bullet hell shooter with a fun twist: you can only move while you're shooting and, as the tile suggests, you'll be propelled backwards. I'm into it. Kickback — from Dot blood and publisher Targem Games — is out now on Steam.
I'll be honest, I had no idea what Fretless - Wrath of Riffson was when I got an email from Steam this week telling me that this game, which I apparently had placed on my wishlist at some point, is now available. But hey, that name is an absolute winner.
I appreciate the pixel art look of this turn-based RPG from Ritual Studios and publisher Playdigious Originals. According to the Steam page, you'll play "as Rob, a friendly musician trying to restore harmony in an off-tuned world where wacky villains are corrupting music." That sounds quite lovely, actually.
The trailer makes it look delightfully chaotic, as players rush to cook meals to satiate giant monsters and stay alive. Co-Op Kaiju Horror Cooking is out on July 29, but until then you can play the entire game for free as part of a playtest.
What's more, Strange Scaffold has announced two more games: Truck-kun is Supporting Me From Another World?! is a "chaotic anime-inspired vehicular action game about driving into objects at high speed to rescue the corporate ladder climber you accidentally isekai'd into a dangerous medieval fantasy world" while Space Warlord Baby Trading Simulator is a "fast-paced stock market sim about buying, selling, and shorting stocks based on the simulated lives of adorable alien children."
Beautiful one-line pitches. Zero notes. Can't wait for those, or to find out about another new game demonstrating a "unique method of developer collaboration" that Strange Scaffold plans to unveil next week.
If you're hankering for more first-person parkour in a similar vein to Mirror's Edge, Neon White or Ghostrunner, Jetrunner might just do the trick. Riddlebit Software's platformer-shooter hybrid, which is published by Curveball Games, is coming to Steam on September 4. It looks like it could be fun! If the announcer's voice in the trailer sounds familiar, that's because the character is played by Matthew Mercer.
I missed this one last week, but I just want to very quickly mention Ghost Haunting. The world needs more funny point-and-click adventures in the vein of those classic LucasArts games. Three Headed Monkey Studios and publisher Daedalic Entertainment have made a positive first impression to suggest they're ready to take that particular baton. There's no release date or window as yet, but this was an instant addition to my wishlist on Steam (let's just hope I don't forget about this one, eh?)
I would love to play a tour manager simulator game at some point, getting into the nitty gritty of making sure gigs and everything else involved in a band's life on the road goes smoothly. Rockbeasts is not quite that, but it still seems like it could be a good time.
This is a "grungy" narrative-driven rock band management game from Lichthund and Team17. The trailer is fun and there are some interesting talents involved here. Rockbeasts was written by writer Jakub Szamałek, who was senior writer of The Witcher 3 and principal writer of Cyberpunk 2077. Even cooler is that Iggy Pop voices on of the characters, who is named Iggy Pup. Love it.
Rockbeasts is coming to PC and consoles next year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/neon-abyss-2-a-prison-break-rpg-and-other-new-indie-games-worth-checking-out-110043805.html?src=rss
Remedy has announced plans to fixFBC: Firebreak and restore the good will of consumers after a rough launch earlier this year. Many of the issues surrounding the launch were regarding the onboarding process, which the company acknowledges by saying that "many players come into the game and leave within the first hour."
Remedy is trying to make that opening hour more welcoming to new players, so they don't "feel ineffective and confused as to what to do." It has already placed an introductory video in the game with a narrative to explain the world and how it relates to the developer's hit game Control, as FBC: Firebreak is set in the same universe. Remedy promises more of this type of "narrative onboarding" will come to the game later this year.
It's building a playable tutorial level, as the developer acknowledges it needs "to do a better job" teaching new players the core mechanics and features. It's also taking a page out of Nintendo's playbook and introducing more "pop up" tips that will appear at "relevant times" throughout the first couple of hours.
The forthcoming updates aren't just about onboarding. Remedy will be adding three new heavy guns to the arsenal and introducing a modding system for weapons. The company will share more about this system "before September." It's also introducing "big changes to the way" players access missions and beefing up the missions themselves.
The developer says it's refining several elements to increase the fun factor, going on to say that it will be "weeding out our least fun experience" and "focusing on our best experiences." There will even be new game modes and missions down the line.
Much of this is coming in the game's first major update, with a planned winter launch. For the uninitiated, FBC: Firebreak is a multiplayer FPS that places an emphasis on cooperative action. It's available on Game Pass and PlayStation Plus, so it could technically be "free" to check out any progress the dev has made since launch.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/remedy-lays-out-its-plan-to-fix-fbc-firebreak-which-includes-improved-onboarding-182301518.html?src=rss
After five years of development, one of Steam's coziest games is leaving Steam early access and making the jump to consoles. Starting today, you can purchase The Wandering Village on PC, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5. On Steam, the game's developer, Stray Fawn Studio, is offering a 35 percent discount until July 31. In the US, that means you can get the game for just under $20. Switch owners, meanwhile, can get a 10 percent launch discount until August 7.
I've been playing The Wandering Village on and off since it entered early access in 2022. It's a lovely game that combines two very different influences. Most obviously, the game wears on its sleeve Stray Fawn's love of Hayao Miyazaki's seminal Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. The manga and later film is set in a desolate, post-apocalyptic world ravaged by nuclear war.
The Wandering Village's other major influence are the titles of Impressions Games. In the late '90s and early 2000s, the now-defunct studio went on a hot streak releasing three games — Caesar III, Pharaoh and Zeus: Master of Olympus — that, to this day, define much of the city-building genre.
The Wandering Village marries those influences in a novel way. Rather than building your city on solid ground, you build it on the back of a giant creature called the Onbu. As you can probably guess, the Onbu doesn't stay still. And while there are ways you can influence its behavior, sometimes it can have a mind of its own. All of that leads to some interesting gameplay interactions. For example, the Onbu might wander into a biome that is toxic to your villagers. As of the writing of this article, the game has a "very positive" rating on Steam on nearly 6,000 reviews, with recent reviews tilting toward "overwhelming positive."
If you want to grab a physical copy of the game for Switch or PS5, Stray Fawn has partnered with Serenity Forge to offer collectors and premium editions of the game. Pre-orders will ship early next year. Despite the game leaving early access, Stray Fawn has promised to keep working The Wandering Village.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/one-of-my-favorite-steam-early-access-games-is-now-available-on-switch-and-ps5-174539016.html?src=rss
Virtuos, the studio that developed The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, is laying off seven percent of its staff, or around 270 employees. Gauthier Andres, a reporter and co-founder at Origami, was first to report the news, which the studio later confirmed. Virtuos has provided support on a number of large game projects — including a recent patch for Cyberpunk 2077 — and employs more than 4,200 people across the US, Europe and Asia.
The company said the layoffs are primarily affecting "teams facing lower occupancy and slower demand due to structural shifts in the industry." It's firing around 200 people in Asia and approximately 70 in Europe. "Fewer than 10" of those are in France, where the core team working on Oblivion Remastered is based. Virtuos says it's offering affected workers layoff packages, career transition assistance and, "where possible," job opportunities across its network.
"Over the past 12 months, Virtuos has deepened its commitment to premium co-development through key acquisitions of Beyond-FX, Pipeworks, and Umanaïa in North America, as well as Third Kind Games and Abstraction in Europe," Virtuos said in a statement. "These studios enhance our strengths in VFX, design, Unreal Engine programming and creative development. This ongoing investment reflects our intent to grow in areas where our expertise and scale create lasting value, while selectively exiting service segments where demand is weakening. We need to better match the locations of our teams with those of our clients to support the increasingly iterative nature of creative co-development. This alignment is why the current reorganization has a greater impact on our teams in Asia."
Besides reviving Bethesda classics, Virtuos has contributed work to the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eaterand several ongoing live service games, like Dune: Awakening and Sea of Thieves. Nothing about the company's output or the critical reception of its games would suggest it needs to conduct layoffs, but that reflects the current precarious state of the games industry. Even having theoretically steady work doing post-release support and game remasters isn't enough.
Update July 17, 2025, 9:57AM ET: Added confirmation of the layoffs from Virtuos.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/virtuos-the-studio-behind-oblivion-remastered-is-laying-off-around-270-employees-135722222.html?src=rss
On Tuesday, Nintendo published an interview with the creators of Donkey Kong Bananza. The second big Switch 2 tentpole title comes from the team that made Super Mario Odyssey. The developers explained how they laid the foundation for DK's first 3D adventure since the Nintendo 64 era.
Destruction is at the heart of Donkey Kong Bananza. Everything in his environment can be smashed to bits. Not only is that a fun mechanic, but it also adds an element of verticality and freedom of exploration. That's an ideal fit for showcasing the Switch 2's processing power.
Nintendo
As with so many other Nintendo creations, the first step in getting there was a no-brainer. Consult with Shigeru Miyamoto.
"We'd built up a lot of expertise in gameplay development for 3D action games through our work on 3D Mario games, including Super Mario Odyssey," producer Kenta Motokura said. "But we needed to dive deeper into the fundamental question of 'What is Donkey Kong?' So, our first step was to seek out Miyamoto-san and Nintendo Executive Officer Yoshiaki Koizumi."
In their talk, Miyamoto emphasized DK's moves like hand slaps and blowing. Along similar lines, Koizumi pointed to the ape's massive arms, which he uses to punch and hoist heavy objects. That got the team thinking. After all, who doesn't want to control a giant ape who runs around, breaking shit?
DK slapping a platform in the 2010 game Donkey Kong Country Returns. Shigeru Miyamoto emphasized the move as a starting point for the new version.
Nintendo / Retro
The Super Mario Odyssey team was uniquely suited to handle that challenge. First, the 2017 title included some light environmental destruction. (Think the cheese rocks in the Luncheon Kingdom and Bowser's smashing in the final level.)
The team experimented with fully destructible environments soon after Odyssey's release. (That was long before they knew they'd make a Donkey Kong game.) That included the adorably strange idea of putting smashing fists on a Goomba and setting it loose. Part two of the interview includes a short video of one of these tests.
On a technical level, the key to that mechanic is using voxels (3D pixels). "In Super Mario Odyssey, we started using voxels midway through development, so the areas where we could apply them were limited," Motukura said. "But the trial and error we went through back then directly led to what we were able to do in Donkey Kong Bananza."
Another interesting tidbit from the interview is that they started working on the game as a Switch 1 title. "We originally began developing Donkey Kong Bananza on Nintendo Switch, but we ran into some challenges," Motokura said. "I think it was around 2021 when we started to think about moving development to Switch 2." In the comparison image below, you can see a much richer environment in the Switch 2 version.
Nintendo
Art director Daisuke Watanabe explained that the new console's hardware opened new doors. "We first looked into how we could upgrade what we'd originally built for Switch to take advantage of Switch 2," Watanabe said. "One of the most obvious improvements was that we could place far more objects in the environment than before. Being able to place more objects in the terrain didn't just enhance the game's visual richness. More importantly, it increased the amount of things players could destroy, which amplified the exhilaration of being able to demolish anything and everything."
There are many more nuggets in Nintendo's interview. This includes animal transformations and Pauline's role in the game. (She must be the forgiving type, given how they started.) The chat also explores how DK's modern art style evolved.
You can visit Nintendo's website for the full lowdown. Donkey Kong Bananza will be available tomorrow, July 17.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/donkey-kong-bananzas-creators-reflect-on-the-games-path-to-delightful-destruction-201600462.html?src=rss
There's another big update for Cyberpunk 2077 coming our way. Update 2.3 brings some notable new features to PC and consoles. CD Projekt Red (CDPR) is adding official in-game support for VRR on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. This should help with screen tearing when the frame rate drops and is of particular use when running the game in performance mode.
There's also an official AutoDrive feature, which is something that has long-existed in the modding community. This is available in all cars and motorcycles and lets players drive from place to place automatically. Just set the destination marker and let the game do the rest. This isn't teleportation. The vehicle still drives, it does just so automatically.
With AutoDrive enabled, players can turn on a "cinematic camera" to make the journey a bit more visually stimulating. There's even a new "wandering" mode for aimless joyrides, for those who just want to experience the splendor of Night City and its environs.
Speaking of driving, the update also brings four additional vehicles to the game, and they all look to be attached to new side jobs. More content is always appreciated.
PC players are getting support for AMD FSR 3.1, Intel XeSS 2.0 and HDR 10 Plus. AMD's FSR 4 is also being added, but it requires a specialized driver that isn't available yet. CDPR says it's coming at a "later date."
The update drops on July 17, which is the same day the Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Editioncomes to Mac computers. It looks like the Mac version will include these new features. Update 2.3 is coming to the Switch 2, but not just yet. Cyberpunk 2077was a launch title for the recently-released console.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/cyberpunk-2077s-latest-update-brings-vrr-to-consoles-and-introduces-an-autodrive-mode-181933646.html?src=rss
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